This minor league baseball team aims to be the affordable, family-friendly entertainment option in Springfield, MA. The team will sell single-game tickets for $6 each and focus their marketing on community events to build awareness and loyalty. While other entertainment competes, the team sees opportunities in transportation partnerships and local business sponsorships. The marketing budget will support events year-round and radio ads to promote the team and drive ticket/concession sales, with the goal of breaking even.

2. Overview
0 Minor league baseball team
0 Single-game tickets at $6.00 a piece
0 Target Market:
0 Families
0 Population in Springfield- 55,000
0 Positioning:
0 Local, affordable entertainment for the whole family
0 Distribution:
0 Tickets sold at box office and team website

3. Marketing Plan
0 Promote team through various events throughout the
year
0 Get community involvement before the start of the
season
0 Events create unique and memorable experiences that
other IMC tools cannot

4. Opportunities/Threats
0 Threats:
0 Other affordable entertainment:
0 Movies, bowling, theatre, etc.
0 Professional sports teams
0 Opportunities:
0 Providing shuttle/transportation to games
0 Sponsorships from local businesses
0 Potential economic growth
0 External environmental factors:
0 Mainly low income
0 Lack of public transit
0 Restrictions on sales of alcohol at games

5. Review of Competition
0 Boston Red Sox
0 Tickets prices: $12 - $325
0 Minor League Baseball and hockey teams
0 Ticket prices: $6 - $26
0 Local Colleges
0 Ticket prices: $5 - $6, $3 for children
0 Other forms of entertainment:
0 Prices: $5 - $30

6. Objectives
0 Objectives:
0 Break even through sales of tickets and concessions
0 Build team’s brand awareness through events/experiences

7. Product Strategy
0 Selling affordable and convenient entertainment
0 Core offerings:
0 Baseball game tickets- entertainment (intangible)
0 Concession goods (food, souvenirs, beer)
0 Points of Parity:
0 Category- ticket sales, concessions, entertainment
0 Points of Differentiation:
0 Low ticket pricing, community-oriented environment

8. Pricing Strategy
0 Establishing price as reaction to information from
surveys
0 The most profitable price is $6 for single game tickets
0 Pricing position – affordable/low cost
0 Flanker brand of its major league team organization
0 Low price is consistent with brand’s positioning

9. Place Strategy
0 Distribution:
0 Relatively selective, solely through the box office at the
stadium and online
0 Consistency with positioning-
0Community based
0Convenience (online)

10. Integrated Marketing
Communications
0 $175,00 allocated towards advertising
0 PR plan:
0 To promote events
0 Build brand equity
0 Plan to create events and experiences for the
community
0 Help build awareness and support

11. Action Plans
0 Summer event
0 Fall event
0 Winter event
0 Spring events
0 Restaurant and local business sponsors events

12. Summer Event
0 Announced through official press release
0 Team will build float for town’s 4th of July Parade
0 Build awareness

13. Fall Event
0 Booth at local town’s fall carnival
0 Will include information about the team
0 Provide games
0 Dunk team members in water for prizes

14. Winter Event
0 Team will sponsor holiday event in the town’s center
square
0 Events will include:
0 Christmas tree lighting
0 Snowball fights against players
0 Sledding, snowman building, ice sculpting

15. Spring Events
0 Invite town to spring training
0 Meet and greets with the players
0 Q and A
0 Sponsor the local Little League organization

16. Restaurants and Businesses
0 Bi-monthly events at the various businesses that
sponsor the team
0 Restaurants and other local shops
0 Raffles and prize giveaways
0 Community members will be able to interact with
players in a casual environment

17. PR for events
0 Local radio ads for quarterly events
0 4 weeks prior
0 Local radio ads for bi-weekly events
0 Week prior

18. Budgets
0 Advertising spending
allowance: $175,000
0 Summer event:
0 Press release: $10,000
0 Parade float: $3,500
0 Fall event:
0 Fair booth: $1,000
0 Dunk tank: $239
(rental)
0 Prizes: $1,000
0 Winter event:
0 Tree: $500
0 Light, Décor, Maintenance:
$2,500
0 Ice sculptors: $1,000
0 Sled rentals: $500
0 Prizes: $1,000
0 Spring event:
0 Little League Sponsorship:
$5,000
0 Bi-Monthly events:
0 Prizes: $6,000 (24 events
* $250 for each

19. Event Promotions
0 Radio Cost: $40,000 (one week of radio ad = $1,000)
0 16 weeks of radio promo for the quarterly events
0 24 weeks of radio promo for the bi-weekly events
0 Remaining Budget:
Roughly $100,000

24. Price per ticket
Ticket
Type
Less
than
$4
$4 $6 $8 $10 $12 $14
Single
Ticket
0% 2% 5% 13% 37% 27% 22%
5 game
ticket
1% 2% 3% 19% 36% 34% 5%
20 game
Half
Season
1% 7% 23% 28% 25% 15% 1%
38 game
Full
Season
18% 26% 20% 14% 11% 10% 1%